Electrical massage apparatus.



T. 30mm. ELECTRICAL MASSAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FTLED APR. 25, 1916.

Patented sfpn 18,1917.

l ,BUZZ

T. BOLLIN.

ELECTRICAL MASSAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25| 1915.

Patented Sept. 18,4191?.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

T. BOLLIN.

ELECTRICAL MASSAGE APPARATUS.-4 APPLICATloN man APL-25.1916.

Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- TNN QVC E om T. BOLLIN.

ELECTRICAL MASSAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25| I9|6.

Patented sept. 18,1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 LQGAL@ I Y h NV Q W iinrrnn s'rnfrns refinar ernten.

rnnononn BOLLIN, or oKMULGr-nn, OKLAHOMA.

7 ELECTRCAL MASSGE `APPARATUS.

To all whom t may concern." l

Be it knownthat l, Trrnononn BOLLIN, a citizen of the United. States,residing at Gkmulgee, in the county of Okmulgee and State of Oklahoma,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical MassageApparatus, oi' which thev following is a specilication.

My invention Vrelatesto new and useful iinprovementsin medicalappliances the primary object of my invention being the provision oi anelectrical massage device which is intended particularly for thetreatment and curing of cases of chronic constipation and chronicdiarrhea, the same apparatus being'eniployed'for either purpose but in adifferent manner.

More specifically, rmy invention consists in thoprovision of a devicehaving a suitable abdominal supporting` portion and. a plurality ofmassage vrollers capable of being driven in a circular path, in eitherdirection, one of the massage rollers being pro- .vidcd witha currentconducting surface.

My apparatus further includes a rectal electrode which, with theconductorv covered roller, form the electrodes of a faradic circuit,suitable means being provided for supplying proper current to the rectalelectrode and tor conducting current, Apassing from this electrodethrough the body of the patient. Jfrom the conductive covering of theroller electrode the former electrode con stituting the positiveelectrode and the lattor the negative electrode of the circuit.

One of the primary objects or" my invention consists in the provision ofa suitable body to which the abdominal supporting device' is connectedand which carries certain ci' the massage rollers, including that havingthe conductive coating, this body being so formed and arranged that itmay be interchangeably employed either with a cabig net form ofapparatus or with a portable hand apparatus as preferred.

ln this connection, ka further object of my invention consists in theprovision of a novel and eliicient form oi" cabinet apparatus includinga revolubly supported disk which may be drivenby ahand crank or othersuitable means and to which the body carrying the abdominal support andmassage rollers may be connected, the cabinet also providing additionalsupport for the patients abdomen when the device is in use. Anotherobject along Athis line consists in Specification of Letters Patent.

:massage roller Fatented Sept. 18, i917.

Application filed April 25, 1.916. Serial No. 93,424.

providing a stand or bracket upon which the cabinet may be supported atvariable heights in order that a patient may perform self treatment ifdesired while standing lin an erect position, the cabinety deviceordinarily being employed byv doctors or nurses with the patient -inareclining position.

In this connection also, another object of my. invention consists in theprovision of a portable device or structure upon which the carrying bodymay be mounted and which provides means for rotating such body to driveits rollers when in vspecifically,pointed out in the claims, which areattached to and form a part of this application. Y e y Figure lis a topplan view of the cabinet form of my improved medical appliance, thecover being removed to show the device itself,

Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view taken through the device, aportion of the front wall however, being shown in elevation,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view atright angles to that shown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4c is a sectional view of themassage roller having the conductivecovering or sleeve,

Fig. 4a is a perspective view of a modiiied form of electrode formingmassage roller.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the bracket for supporting the electrodeforming roller,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the rectal electrode,

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rectal electrode,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of my improved cabinet form of appliancemounted upon its stand,

Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of the portable form of apparatus,

Fig. 10 is a central longitudinal sectional view ot the form shown inFig. 9, parts being broken away to permit its showing upon an enlargedscale.

As lpreviously mentioned, my apparatus comprises an electrode and ingbody which may be interchangeably connected either to a cabinet form ofdriving mechanism or to a portable driving mechanismV but for the sakeof convenience, l.

massage carrywith the cabinet form of structure. Y Y ring to Figs. 1, 2,and 3 of the drawings, 10

indicates a cabinet which is substantially,

square in shape being formed of wood or .other suitable material andincluding a bottom 11, side and end walls 12 anda cover 13 having aperipheral. flange 14'enc1rcling the l cabinet when thecover is in placeand adaptedfto receive the loc-king studs 15 of hinged latches 16carried by the walls 12. The

, v'front wall'of this cabinet is formed with shown at 26.

openings to receive drawers 17 which are 'separated by lafpa'rtitioii18, oneof these drawers generally containing the electric y apparatus ofthe device such as oneor more `dry vcells and a generator and the otherany cloths, bandages or other articles which may be employed in thetreatment. The cabinet immediately above'the drawers is .provided withhorizontal partition furnishing ak false bottom 19 which supports themechanism proper of the appliance. Brackets 2O of any suitable type aresecured at intervals to lthe inner faces of the walls ofthe cabinet andsupport an inwardly directed vperipheral ledge 21 'which carries a top22 Preferably vformed lof vulcanite or other suitable non-currentconducting material of such a nature that it will not warp or change itsshape `or proportion due to changes in temperature or moisture.l Theupper face of this top or in effect table 22 lies flush with the upperedge of the cabinet and is formed witha central opening 23, preferablycircular in shape and slightly less in diameter than the transversedimension of the cabinet.

The partition 18 is formed centrally with an opening to receive theenlarged head 24 of the supporting shaft 25 which extends through thefalse bottom 19 and which, at its upper end, is reduced and screwthreaded, as

shaft 25 resting at its uppereiid in the plane of the shoulder formed byreducing the shaft. A beveled gear 28 is formed centrally with anannular groove to form a ball race for bearings 29 which engage theupper end of the sleeve 27 and with an opening to receive the threadedsleeve'of a cap screw30 which is lixedupon thethreaded end of the shaft25. This ca o screw has a flanged headshaft is journaled intheupstaiid'ingarnis 36 and the upstanding arm 37 'of a bracket 38 securedto the false bottom 19 and between one of the arms 36 and the arm 37carries a f kbeveled pinion 40 which meshes with the A sleeve 27surrounds this beveled gear 28. The bracket may be fastenedto-thefalse-bottom by bolts 41 or other suitable means Vand thearms 36 projectabove the bracket and receive the trunnions 42 of a spherical rollerbearing 43 which'supports the-disk 32. At spaced intervals about thegear 28, I provide additional brackets identical in construction withthe bracket 38 and each having ya shaft 44 carrying'a beveled pinion 45meshing with the gear'and each receiving'the trunnions of a bearing 46supporting vthe disk 32. By this means, the disk is firmly supported forrotation about the 'shaft 25 and yet held against disengagem'enttherefrom, the crank 35 serving as a means for imparting movement to thedisk in either direction.

ySecured to the upper face of the disk 32 Y and at diametricallyopposite sides thereof,

are segmental body members 47 having their -chordal edges extending inparallel spaced relation. These body members may be secured to the diskby bolts 48 or in any other suitable manner and interposed between themand resting upon the intermediate portion of the disk 32 is the maiiiybody member 49 which is detachable from the disk and which with thesegmentalbody members 47 makes up a complete rotating disk which as willbe later explained, carries the massage elementsA or rollers of theapparatus. This intermediate body member 49 is formedrin its lowerfacewith threaded sockets to 'receivethe threaded ends of dowel pins 50, theprojecting ends of which pass through openings formed in 'the disk 32vand into sockets formed in the upper face of the gear 28 to lock theintermediate body member Vagainst sliding movement between the segmentalbody members and vto lock the disk`32 to the gear 28 so that rotation ofthe gear will cause rotation of the disk and consequently, the rotationof the massage carrying support 51 made up of the various body members47 and 49.

rlhese body members 47 and 49 are formed of vulcanite or otherequivalent material and the lower face of the intermediate body member49 is provided with a radially eX- tending 'channel to seat a conductorstrip 52 of copper which is secured in its lseat by any suitablel meansand which when the vintermediate body meniber is in place engages thecopper disk 32 iny order that current l to the sleeve 18 may pass to thestrip 52. v

The end portions'of the intermediatefbody member 49 are provided withalined radially extending slots 53 one of which communicates with alcorresponding slot 54 formed in the strip 52. In like manner, thesegmental shaped body members 47 'are provided at diametrically oppositepoints with -alined radially extending slots 55 extending atrightjangles to the slots 53, these vario-us slots being each spaced ata distance of substantially .908 from adjacentv slots.

U-shaped brackets 56 engage by their intermediate portions upon theupper face of the massage element carrying member 51,.

such portions extending radially of the member and over the slotstherein, and clamping bolts 57 are passed through the intermediateportions of the brackets and `through'the slots and provided with thumbvnuts 58.by means of which the brackets which is clamped through theslot communithe conductor strip horizontally alined 59 of cating withthe slot of 52 are provided with Y openings to y]ournal the trunnionsspherical massage elements 60 which yare4 thus rotatably mounted in thebrackets and which, as shown projectsomewhat above f the substantiallyannular tabler 22, the cover being internally recessed as shown at 61 tofit over them. The remaining* brackety 56 i is identical in constructionwith those previously described except that while one upstanding arm isformed with an opening 62, its other arm is formed with a. vertical slot63 opening through its free end. Because of this, the trunnions 64 of acombined massage roller and electrode 65 may be removably supported `bythe bracket. A leaf spring 66 is fixed at one end to the slotted arm ofthe bracket and formed at its opposite end with an opening 67 to receivethe adjacent trunnion of the roller 65 and lock it against outwardmovement from. the slot 63, the intermediate portion of this springbeing outwardly bowed to facilitate its application or removal from suchtrunnion.

This combined massage roller and electrode 65, as best shown 'in Fig. 4of the drawings, has its body constructed .of vulcanite, vulcanizedrubber or other suitable ynon-con ducting material. This body is in theform of a sphere and is mounted upon a diametrically extending shaft 68upon the ends of which are formed the trunnions 64 and the face of thebody member 65 in a diametric plane at right angles to the shaft 68 isgrooved or channeled as shown at 69 to seat a sleeve or ring 70 ofcopper or other suitable electrical conductor which is secured in placein the channel and in electrical connection with the shaft 68 by meansof one or more locking screws 71. It should benoted that the outer faceof this conduc tor ring is `flush with Vand `forms a continuation. ofthe face of the rmassage roller 65. 4The other rollers are all formed ofnonconducting material and are none of them provided with any conductorring. 0b-

.viously, current may pass from thev positive electrode, to be laterexplained, through the body of a patient to the conductor ring 7 0, fromthis ring to the bracket 56, strip 52 and through the disk 32 to thesleeve 18 and so back to the battery or other source of energ f.Preferably, a combined cut-out switch and rheostat 72 is interposed inthe circuit in order that the current may be shut off or turned on asdesired and its strength properly regulated.

The intermediate body member 49 is formed centrally with an opening toyreceive the cap nut 31 by means of which the disk 32 and gear 28 areheld against displacement from the shaft 25 and surrounding thisopening, the upper face of the body member 49 is formed withconcentrically disposed annular' seats 7 8 'and7 4 and with a ball race75 in these seats. The shank portion 76 of an abdominal support 77engages against the inner seat 7 3 and is formed with a peripheralflange 78 resting upon' the ball bearings v port 77 is therefore mountedin such a manner that it may be held against turning while the massageelement supporting member 51 is rotated by the crank 55. The body properof the abdominal support 77 is cup-shaped as shown at 84 with its freeedge disposed at a level slightly below the upper peripheries of themassage elements 60 and this cupshaped body is formed interiorly with laprotuberance which forms an abdominal engaging portion of the support.

Coperating with the above described portion of my medical appliance, isa positive rectal electrode best shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and indicated asa whole by the numeral 86. This electrode is made up of twosubstantially lcylindrical body members 87 and 88 formed of vulcanizedrubber or other suitable non-conducting material, the body members beingso shaped and proportioned that when the electrode is assembled, ittapers somewhat from end to end. A contact disk 89 of copper or othersuitable current conducting material is provided centrally with athreaded stud 90 which engages in a threaded socket formed in the largerend of ,the body member 88 Vand the members 87 and 88 are connected bymeans of a rod` 91 of any suitable current conducting metal theconductor disk 89 .and Which is extended to engage about the peripheraledge of suchk disk. The 'bodyportion 88rof'the rectal electrode 87 is soshaped and proportioned that it may be inserted inthe rectum of thepatient and for this reason is provided with "any annular enlargementVor' bulge 911 intermediate its length in order: that it may be readilyheld inv place Within the rectum With the contacty platei89 insnugengage- Y the position assumed v.by the patient Willv be Anient -Withthe sphincter muscle of the rectum.

With the cabinet form ofelectrical massage instrument above described,the treatment Aof the patient is as folloyvs:-The patients colon may be-iirst emptied by any suitable enema'and ivith the cabinet positionedupon a bed or operating-table, the patient is placed with the abdomenresting upon the fabdomin'al support 77 and table 22. in thepatients'rectum and tliemassage element supportingmember or disk 51 iscon- `tinuouslyand steadily revolved byv meansof the crank `35, currentbeing turned o-n to the pioperstrength by means of the combined switchand rheostat 72. Preferably, the conductor ring 7 0 of the negativeelectrode and the exposed surface of the disk 89 of the positiveelectrode are covered With cloths inoistened in a salt solution morderto insure-good contact andat the same time not a patient forconstipation,v care. should be taken lthat the massage elements areturned fromright to left in order that the negative electrode or rollermay pass in a circular path over the patients abdomenv along the normalcourse of peri staltic motion ofthe-intestines, creating such a motionof the intestines or intensifying this motion'toaccomplish thedesiredresult. 1t will therefore be seen that the massaging accomplishedby my yappliance tends tov intensifyprop er muscular movement oftheintestines or to cause such movement in case it is lacking andtherefore operates to produce the. desired result in the natural lmannerbviously, the same apparatus may bev employed for treatment of chronicAcases of diarrhea by reversing the direction ofrotation ofthe massageelement carrying body in order that the massage elements may be rotatedin a contra-peristaltic direction. i v y 1f desired,v thiscabinet formiof appliance may be mounted upon a suitable stand to permit selftreatment by av patient' in upright or standing' position. For thispurpose7 1 have provided a stand ofl the type 4shovvn in Fig. 8including a base or lped'estal The positive electrode is then inserted-'Y mounted upon the shaft. 119 engages against the idly mounted beveledpinion 116 and is held against it by the Cap nut 120' threadedl upon oneend of the having'a verticalstandardi96 .from which extend opposite2lateral branches 97 terminating inl guide arms 98 projecting inparallel spaced relation tothestandard' 96. V The .bottomfll'of'thecabinet is formed with a plurality of vguide-loops 99 which receive-itsfree end to the'cabinet., Clearly, 'the' method of treatment Withthe exception of the same With the cabinetv supported as shown in Fig.8. n

At times,l however, patients are so illor feeble that they cannot beturned upon theirv abdomens orl cannot standin :an upright pof sitionandI for this reason I have provided a portable Aform of. apparatus`which may be lemployed .as va substitute for the cabinet form `abovedescribed` Such aV form of apparatus is clearly illustrated Iin `Figs. 9and 'l0-of J(he drawings andas therein shown, is adapted tointerchangeably` -receive the intermediate body porti-on 49 carrying.one. of

-the massage rollers0iand the electric mas-` vsageroller 65-andabdominal supports 77,

all of which have been describedin connection with the cabinetform oftheinvention.

This portable device includesabeveled -gear l115 having threadedvsockets to receive screivs 106 ivhichare passed through open- Qvings'107 formed inthe intermediate body have the current too sharp. 1Nhen treating portion ormember 19 and' through spacer blocks 109interposed betWeenwthe-member 49 and the gear 1057 the pins 50 seatingin ysockets formed inthe spacer blocks.. A shaft 108 is formed at oneend with a. concavity 109 to receivethe ball bearing 83 and at itsopposite end with a split clamping sleeveA become disengaged fromv theshaftabouty Which it is free to rotate.. kBeveled. pinions 115 and 116are mounted upon a shaft 117 extending through the sleeve 112 in` whichf it is journaled, one of these pinions being fixed tothe shaft by a'setscrew 118 or other suitable means and the otherbeing yidly A spacersleeve shaft 117, the-shafttherefore being held against longitudinalmovement through the sleeve' 112 by the lixed'pinio'n 11`5'and cap nut120. A second spacer sleeve 121 engages againstfthe-ixed pinion and isin turn engaged by a handle forming sleeve 122 of insulating materialsuch as vulcanized rubber or fiber. An additional spacer sleeve 123engages against the other end of the handle forming sleeve 22 andengaging against this latter spacing sleeve is a beveled pinion 124which is fixed to the shaft 117 by a set screw 125. A bracket 126 isprovided at its ends with split clamping rings 127 which may be engagedabout a bearing forming sleeve 128 by clamping screws 129. This sleeve128 engages against the pinion 124 and is formed with a socket toreceive one end of a shaft 130 which is rotatably journaled in thebracket 126 and held against longitudinal movement by a collar 131. Thisshaft 130 carries a beveled gear 132 which meshes with the disk 124 andat its free end carries a hand crank 133 by means of which it may berotated to transmit power from the gear 132 to the pinion 124 and shaft117 and so through the pinion 115 to the gear 105 and consequently tothe massage roller and abdominal support carrying member 49.

rlhe free end of the shaft 117 is provided with a peripheral groove orball race 134 and a collar 135 surrounds such end of the shaft and withthe groove receives ball bearings 135 which are locked in place by a capnut 137 threaded into the end of the collar and which in turn lock thecollar against disengagement from the shaft. Thiscollar is provided witha threaded extension 138 about which is threaded one end of a handle 139of any suitable non-conducting 'material such as vulcanized rubber. Thishandle is provided axially with a passage to receive a coveredconducting wire 140 which, at its inner end, is connected by a bindingpost 142 to the collar 135. It will therefore be clear that currentpassing from the body of the patient'to the conductor ring of theelectrode forming roller 65 mav passto the copper strip 32, through oneof the screws 106 to the beveled gear 105 and so to the beveled pinions115 and 116 and along the shaft to the collar and wire 140.

It will of course be understood that the rectal electrode is employed inconnection with the above described portable apparatus, the twoelectrodes being connected in circuit with a suitable source of faradicenergy and that the portable device will be employed in the same manneras the cabinet form of the appliance with the exception that beingportable, it may be readily applied to a patient in a normal recliningposition. Either form of appliance may be employed for general massagepurposes either with or without the discharge of current as. preferredand the cabinet form of massage appliance may be employed for massagepurposes with all four massage rollers or with only two, theintermediate body portion with its abdominal support and massage rollersbeing removed from the remainder of the appliance in the latter case.Except in very severe cases of constipation, no enema should be employedand in any event, its use should be discontinued as soon as possiblegenerally after the first or second treatments. Fui thermore, in severecases a combined galvanic and faradic current may be employed. In anyevent, it should be borne in mind that for treatment of constipation,the massage rollers must move in a circular path from the right to theleft in order that the current supplied to the body may follow this pathto escape.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A massage instrument including a massage element adapted to conductelectricity from the body of the patient being massaged, means fordriving the element in a circular path upon the patient, and anelectrode adapted to be inserted in the rectum of the patient to form asupply conductor.

2. An electrical massage instrument including a rotatably mountedmember, means for rotating the member, a support carried by the memberand free to remain stationary during rotation of the member, massageelements carried by the member, meanswhereby one element may conductcurrent from a patient" being treated when the patient is restingagainst the support, and means for supplying current to the patient.

3. An electrical massage instrument including a rotatably mountedmember, means for rotating the member, a support carried by the memberand free to remain stationary during rotation of the member, massageelements carried by the member, means c whereby one massage clement mayconduct current from a patient being treated when the patient is restingagainst the support, and means for conducting current to the patient,said means including an electrode adapted to be inserted in the rectumof a patient and connected in circuit with the current conductingmassage element.

4. An electrical massage apparatus including a shaft, a gear rotatableon the shaft, means for rotating the gear, a body member detachablyconnected to the gear to be driven thereby, a supporting memberhavingswiveled connection with the body member and projecting therefrom, aplurality of massage elements peripherally spaced about the supportingmember and carried by the body member, each massage element being in theform of a roller of non-conducting material and one of such rollersbeing provided with a partial covering of conductive material inelectrical circuit with the shaft, a cabinet structure surrounding andinclosing the above mechanism, a table forming a portion of the cabinetstructure and parkrality of massage elements peripherally mountedmember, means for rotating the',

tially Closing the topV thereof, said table being formed with anopening` through which the massage elements and supporting memberproject, and means connected Vin circuit with the shaft for conductingaway current conducted to the body of a patient being op-y erated uponby that massage element in elec.

trical connection with the shaft.` j Y j v5. An electrical massageapparatus in-: cluding a shaft, a gear rotatable on the shaft, means forrotating the gear, a body member detachably connected to the gear to bedriven thereby, a supporting member having swiveled connection with thebody memberl and projecting therefrom, a plu-.

member project, and means connectedin cir-' cuit with the shaft forconducting .current supplied by that massage element 1n electricalconnection with the shaft., from thev body of a patient being operatedupon, said means including an electrode adapted to` be insertedA in therectum of the patient.

6.y An electrical massage instrument including a positive electrodeapplicable to the body of a. patient being treated, a rotatably Copiesof this patent may be obtained for five eeiits each, ,by addressing theCmmssicnei of ziatents.

Washington, D. C.

cabinet for rotating the member, means forV conducting current from oneof the massage elements, and a rectal electrode for supply` ing currentto a patient being massaged.

8. An electrical massage instrument including a rectal electrode ofnon-conducting material provided in'its length with an angular labutment, a current conducting plate sectired to the forward face oftheabutment, means for supplying current to the plate, a massage'elementcapable of conducting current from the body of a patient. and means fordriving the massage element in a vcircular.

path. v

-9.'An electrical massage instrument in-vl cluding a rectal electrodefor supplying current to the body of a patient being treated, a massageroller adapted to conduct current fromv the body of thepatient beingtreated,

means for ysupporting the massage 'n roller in engagement with the vbodyofthe patient to permit its rotation, and means for driving thev massageroller in a circular path.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.v

THODORE Bonnin. [1.5.]

